Ugh.
I network with several leadership organizations and, most recently, with a Christian leadership consulting group that leads pastors & churches to greater levels of effectiveness. My most recent contact with this organization is a black man: intelligent, “clean”, supposedly good Christian. I was asked to audit one of his classes at a very large Christian Church (the building is literally the size of 2 Home Depots stacked on top of one another) that he was teaching…& we arranged to go out for lunch after the class.
He mentioned that he had recently gone down to Baltimore, post Freddy Gray, to volunteer with food distribution, etc…so I asked him to explain his experience of the whole situation.
His response floored me.
“This didn’t start with Freddy Gray”, he began, “It started with Trayvon Martin. Then with Michael Brown, Eric Garner & now Baltimore.” Then he launched into slavery issues, etc. etc. - how his grandparents were deprived of the right to vote, or considered 2nd class citizens, etc., etc.
…and I was left with the feeling of helplessness over issues that have been so spun, that even decent blacks are teetering towards the Nigerian whine that keeps them ALL firmly ensconced on the plantation.
When push comes to shove, people groups huddle together because they obviously find strength in numbers & believe the bullsh*t being fed them by their masters.